The present invention relates to rain gutter outlet tubes that are shipped flat and assembled in the field into rectangular fixtures, wherein the various embodiments provide for handling irregular shaped gutter holes, and three sizes of flat blanks handle most if not all gutter sizes.
The present invention relates to the field of gutters and downspouts, and in particular to an outlet tube for connection of a downspout with a gutter, and a method for making the same.
The typical prior art gutter systems include a gutter which is mounted horizontally on the eaves of a building, and a downspout which is connected with the gutter and directed vertically along the building to deliver the water to the ground. The downspout is connected with the gutter by an outlet tube which is a generally rectangular shaped box which is open at both ends and which at the top end includes outwardly extending flanges for reception upon the floor of the gutter for securement of the outlet tube to the gutter.
In the prior art, one method for making the outlet tube is a xe2x80x9cdeep drawingxe2x80x9d process in which the appropriate metal is drawn through dies or a series of progressive dies, and is then passed through a xe2x80x9ccut diexe2x80x9d to remove any extraneous material. Aluminum, painted steel and copper is the common material for making outlet tubes, and in the deep drawing process is used as a xe2x80x9czero hardxe2x80x9d alloy which provides a composition which will not crack in the drawing process. In the process of forming the outlet tube in the punch press dies, the aluminum is work hardened and, therefore, the zero hard alloy is required. Because of these special requirements of the deep drawing process on the properties of the metal, the material costs for this process are high. It is, therefore, desirable to provide an outlet tube, and a method for making the same, which does not require special alloys and which also is simple and readily accomplished without expensive machinery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,694 teaches a flanged outlet tube provided for mounting within a gutter to provide a connection with a downspout, which includes a rectangular member which is a unitary piece folded at four corners and including five wall portions, the two end wall portions being secured together to form the rectangular shape. The member further includes flanges which are unitary with the wall portions of the rectangular member, which flanges extend outwardly of the wall portions. In a related aspect of the ""694 invention, a method and structure are provided for tapering the wall portions inwardly at a location opposite the flanges, and methods are also provided for making the same.
The ""694 invention provides a method for the formation of an outlet tube which utilizes a flat sheet of material which can therefore be easily, inexpensively and compactly packaged for shipping, and which also provides for the simple and precise formation of an outlet tube therefrom.
The ""694 invention does not readily accommodate irregular holes, nor does it have a manufacturing method and die to create three sized blanks to handle virtually all gutter sizes and orientations of holes.
The present invention consists of a single die assembly with interchangeable modes that produce three sizes of blanks which fit virtually all gutter holes. Each blank has novel slots and provides scores to enable hand bending the sides to fit irregular shaped holes.
The main aspect of the present invention is to provide a hand bendable flat blank having scores which enable a gutter outlet to be formed, wherein the sides of the gutter outlet are readily bendable to fit irregular shaped holes.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a hole and/or hole marking on the flange to facilitate riveting to the floor of the gutter.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a die and method of manufacture to produce three sized blanks which fit virtually all gutter holes and orientations.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide three different sizes of blanks to cover virtually most common downspout sizes.
A single die with movable stops and pins can produce three different blanks, each having unique slots, wherein the blanks are hand foldable into gutter outlet tubes. The sizes of the blanks are approximately for holes having dimensions of 2xe2x80x3xc3x973xe2x80x3, 3xe2x80x3xc3x974xe2x80x3 and 4xe2x80x3xc3x975xe2x80x3. Virtually all size gutters, A and B holes orientations and hole sizes are accommodated by these three blanks and their cost saving method of manufacture.